The Dhahran Flying Discs Club
The Dhahran Flying Discs Club is a hybrid collective of ultimate frisbee players and disc golfers. Together, we form an official self-directed and community supported group dedicated to growing both Ultimate Frisbee and Disc Golf in Saudi Arabia.
Our mission as Dhahran Disc Golf Club members is to consistently offer access to a clean, well-designed, and challenging disc golf course and grow the sport. We offer tours and training to anyone interested in learning about this amazing sport that is taking root in all corners of the globe.
The Course
Dhahran Sand & Oil disc golf course is the first and only 18-hole disc golf course on the Arabian peninsula. Installed in 2019, it is currently a par 60, Blue level course with a total distance of 2,150 meters (7184 feet). Currently, there are four challenging layouts, with another handful of layouts for beginners or those chasing sunlight. Take a look on UDISC or our Courses page.
Mixed terrain, elevation changes, and seasonal winds make it a challenging course for players of all abilities. A carbon-recapture program has been implemented, so a number of newly planted trees and bushes will form well-defined fairways in the future.
Disc golf is played much like golf. Instead of a ball and clubs, though, players use a flying disc or Frisbee®. The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws).
A golf disc is thrown from a tee area to a target, which is the “hole.” The hole can be one of a number of disc golf targets; the most common is an elevated metal basket. As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive throw from the spot where the previous throw landed. The trees, shrubs, and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer. Finally, the “putt” lands in the basket and the hole is completed.
Disc golf shares the same joys and frustrations of golf, whether it’s sinking a long putt or hitting a tree halfway down the fairway. There are a few differences, though: Disc golf is often free to play in public parks, although pay-to-play courses are trending upward; you probably won’t need to rent a cart, but converted golf course layouts are also on the rise; and your “tee time” will usually come during tournament competition, not casual play.
Marks hails from the United States, plays regularly on the course and on League Night. Favorite disc: Philo Destoryer.